Filter



Patented Jan. 28, 1941 v UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FILTER Albert Beale, Battersea, London, England Application August 31, 1938, Serial No. 227,828 In Great Britain March 15, 1938 5 Claims. (01. 210-152) This invention relates to filters for lubricating ranged to suit particular requirements as a sepaoil and has particular although not exclusive refrat unit. Th il c only leave this chamber erence to filters used for this purpose on vehicles to return to the engine sump by way of a pipe l and locomotives, e Object of the invention being provided with an outlet valve ll disposed in a 6 to Provide an improved construction and arvalve housing l2 detachably mounted in one side n e t W ch n e r adily cleansed to avoid of the chamber 9. The outlet valve II is mounted the loss of efiiciency through clogging and which on a tem l3 surrounded by a Spring M which is capable of being cleansed frequently without tends to urge the valve H on to its seating, the necessitating the renewal of essential components outer end of the spring abutting against a plug and without dismantling the filter. I5 having an outlet port or ports l6 and havin 10 The invention consists in a filtering apparatus screw threaded engagement with the wall of the for use in an oil circulation system wherein means valve housing so that by screwing the plug in or are provided for creating an air pressure to out it is possible to vary the compression of the cause deposit of accumulated solids from 151- spring I as desired. The oil passing through the tering elements whenever an engine and/or pump port 16 leaves the valve housing through an out- 15 ceases to operate. let IT to which is connected a conduit communi- The invention also consists in a filtering appacating with the engine sump;v ratus for use in conjunction with oil circulation The arrangement of the valve H as above desystems comprising one or more filters arranged scribed causes it to ofier a certain amount of back within a closed chamber through which oil is pressure whichisvariable according to the degree 20 forced and a second chamber through which the of compression of the spring 14. This back presfiltered oil is discharged and in which an air sure in conjunction withthe fact that the outlet pressure is created sufficient to force 011 back pipe 10 leads from a point near the bottom of through the filter to remove therefrom accumuthe chamber 9 causes an air lock to be formed lated solids when the circulating pump or the in the said chamber when the apparatus is func- 25 like ceases to operate. tioning' in the normal way, that is to say, while The invention further consists in a filtering apthe engine is running. When the engine operaparatus for use in an oil circulation system wheretion ceases the pressure on the oil inlet side falls in filtered oil is discharged into a chamber in and the air cushion which has been formed in which an air lock is formed for the purpose 01. enthe chamber 9 will expand forcing oil back 30 abling air to be compressed in said chamber, through the passages 3 and the filter packs 2 to whi w n the e /or pump oper remove accumulated solids from the exterior of tion ceases, automatically forces accumulated 501- the filter packs '2 which solids settle in the form ids away from the filtering elements to collect in of a sludge in the base of the filter chamber l the base of the filter chamber. from which they can be removed periodically by 35 Reference will now be made to the accompanyopening an outlet valve I8. ing drawing which illustrates diagrammatically In order to prevent this sludge in the base of a. filtering apparatus constructed according to the the filter chamber from being stirred up by the invention. flow of fresh oil into the chamber it is arranged 40 In the arrangement illustrated a filter vessel I that this oil to be treated shall be introduced 40 encloses a number of filtering devices 2 which without commotion at or near the upper end of may be of any suitable known type but preferably the filter vessel and in the arrangement illusconsist each of an assembly of annular disc filtertrated this is achieved by admitting the oil ing elements enclosing a tubular passage 3 through a pipe l9 to an annular passage 20 throughjwhich passes a rod 4 having a flange 5 at formed around the exterior of an annular flange 45 I its lower end-between which and the cover 6 of .2l which depends from the under side of the the filter vessel the said assembly of disc filtercover 6. and is oi 'suchdimensionsfas to leave a ing elements is held in close relationship under narrow annular passage between its outer surthe actionbt a spring I which surrounds the .uprace and the wall of the filter vessel I. With this per end. or the rod 4 and whose compressio ifis arrangement the incoming oil circulates around 50 adjustable by means of a nut I. the passage 20 and enters the filter vessel around The oil discharged from the upper ends or the its wall in the form of an annular film. tubular passages 3 enters a chamber 9 which; in In order to prevent the flow of oil through the the example illustrated, is superimposed upon filter vessel from being impeded at the com-; the cover 6 of the filter vessel but may be'--a r'- mencement of operations by the relatively high [to a substantially central position in the filter viscosity of any body of cold oil retained in the vessel l a small jet 23 is provided in thecover 6 which in the form illustrated acts as a partition between the filter vessel I and the pressure cham- 'hand the dimensions of the jet 23 are sufllciently small to restrict therate of flow of oil so that it is not detrimental to the engine.

Immediately below the jet 23 a non-return valve is provided, which may take the form of a ball 24, to prevent loss of air pressure in the chamber 9 when the enginestops running. To prevent the jet 23 becoming choked with solid matter contained in suspension in the oil a fine gauze strainer 25 is fitted over the lower end of a pipe 26 which supplies the jet, which pipe extends vessel remote from the oil inlet.

As in most cases it is important to heat the oil for filtration the pipe is through which the oil reaches the filter vessel may be connected to a heating coil 21 fixed around the exterior of the exhaust manifold 28 or alternatively disposed within the said manifold.

The filter above described is so arranged that it draws dirty oil directly from the pressure side of an engine oil circulating pump through the pipe is and returns the filtered oil through a pipe connected to the outlet H to the engine sump at atmospheric pressure.

The air pressure which is built up during the filtering operations in the vessel 9 causes accumulated solids to be automatically removed from the filter devices 2 whenever the engine and/ or pump ceases to operate and this arrangement possesses the advantage that it constitutes a means of con centrating in the base of the filter vessel i sludge which would otherwise be found after a few thousand miles travel in-the engine sump and this sludge can be removed through the outlet is of the filter chamber much more easily than it could be removed from the sump of the engine at the same time avoiding loss of engine oil.

I claim:

1. In a filtering apparatus, a vessel divided into a lower inlet chamber and an upper, dome-like discharge chamber by a transverse partition. said inlet chamber having an inlet adjacent its upper portion and a sludge outlet'adjacent the bottom thereof, a plurality of hollow filter packs having resilient means clamping them tothe underside of said partition, the latter having openings placing said discharge chamber in fluid communication with the interior of said filter packs, the bottoms of said filter packs being closed and the sides thereof being constructed of a filtering material, and an oil outlet leading from a point near the bottom of said discharge chamber to trap air in the upper portion of said discharge chamber and having means for resisting the discharge of oil therefrom, to thereby develop air pressure in the discharge chamber operative to cause reverse fiow of oil through said side walls of said filter packs and dislodge solids accumulated thereon and deposit them toward the sludge outlet in said inlet chamber.

2. The filtering apparatus defined in claim 1,

wherein means including a check valve is mounted directly on said partition and is operable to permit restricted oil flow through a filtering means located in said inlet chamber from said inletchamber to said discharge chamber, but prevents fiow in the opposite'direction.

3. The filtering apparatus defined in claim 1, wherein said resilient means comprises a rod passing through each of said filter packs and said openings in said partition and connected at its lower end to the closed bottom thereof and having an abutment at its upper end located in said discharge chamber, and a compression spring acting against each of said abutments andreacting against the upper side of said partition.

4. A filtering apparatus comprising a vessel having a transverse partition dividing said vessel into a lower inlet chamber having a sludge outlet in its lower portion and an upper closed discharge chamber above said partition, said partition having a plurality of openings therein, a plurality of hollow filter packs supported on said partition over said openings and having means for maintaining them in sealing relationship with the underside of said partition, said filter packs projecting downwardly into the inlet chamber and providing passages therethrough for the flow of oil from the inlet chamber through said openings to the discharge chamber, and an oil outlet leading from a point near-the bottom of the discharge chamber to trap air in the upper portion of the discharge chamber and having yieldably movable means to resist the dischar e of oil therefrom and thereby develop air pressure in the disinlet chamber to the discharge chamber, an oilinlet leading into a side of the inlet chamber near its upper portion, said partition having an annular flange depending therefrom and extending around the filter packs in close proximity to the wall 01' the inlet chamber and having a circumierential groove which communicates with the oil inlet, and an oil outlet leading from a point near the bottom of the discharge chamber to trap air in the upper portion of the discharge chamber and having means to resist the discharge of oil therefrom and thereby develop air pressure in the discharge chamber operative to cause reverse fiow of oil through the filter packs to dislodge solids accumulated thereon and deposit them; toward the sludge outlet in the inlet chamber.

ALBERT BEALE. 

